Guide: Retaining the Advantage - a Historical & Technical Appraisal of the McLaren F1 GTR 96
Background
Although the McLaren F1 was never designed with racing in mind, a GTR competition version was eventually created as the result of pressure applied by existing and potential customers.
This first iteration of the F1 GTR was rushed out in double-quick time and was little more than an F1 road car with beefed up suspension, bigger brakes, a stripped-out interior, a rollcage and a downforce-inducing aero kit. The development budget had in fact been so small that just a single day was spent wind tunnel testing.
Nevertheless, the F1 GTR went on to become the dominant car in the 1995 BPR GT Championship winning ten out of twelve events. Even more impressive though was McLaren’s debut appearance at the stand-alone Le Mans 24 Hours where F1 GTRs finished first, third, fourth, fifth and 13th.
However, these statistics only told half the story.
During the course of 1995, Ferrari’s F40 GTE proved itself the quicker car in terms of single lap pace. Only poor reliability and a smaller contingent of the ageing Ferraris stopped the season being a much closer affair.
Although Ferrari were known to have a second iteration of the F40 GTE in the pipeline, the news from Maranello that a GT1 version of the F50 was in development posed an even greater threat to McLaren’s superiority.
Meanwhile, over in Germany, Porsche had already released digital renders of an extreme GT1 version of their 993. Even at this early stage, it was clear the rule benders in Stuttgart were reverse engineering a fully fledged Sports Prototype into a GT1 contender..
Back in Woking, McLaren knew they would need to develop an updated F1 GTR for 1996.
The most radical rule change for 1996 concerned engine power; to rein some of the GT1 cars back in, the BPR authorities mandated bigger air restrictors. However, this was not an across-the-board mandate - while the air restrictors for Ferrari’s twin turbo V8 were enlarged by 0.5mm, those on McLaren’s normally aspirated V12 were enlarged by 2.1mm.
With the F1 GTR therefore expected to be well down on power compared to the F40 (and any other turbocharged rival that may appear), McLaren planned to make the GTR much quicker around corners.
With this in mind, the number one priority was to reduce the original GTR’s 1050kg weight. Attention was also paid to lowering the engine’s centre of gravity, upgrading the suspension and creating more downforce.
The resultant F1 GTR 96 was announced in late November of 1995 at a price of £680,000. It was homologated by the release of an F1 LM road car, six examples of which were produced (one prototype and five customer cars).
Existing GTR customers could enhance their 95-spec. car with an upgrade pack that retailed at £148,000 and was expected to come on stream in April.
McLaren unveiled the F1 GTR 96 during the first week of February. As had been the case with chassis 01R the previous year, the machine on show (chassis 10R) would be retained in an official capacity for test and development duty. The eight customer cars would start being delivered during the following weeks.
Chassis
The starting point for each GTR 96 was McLaren’s carbon composite monocoque.
For this latest iteration, the suspension pick-up points were moved within the prescribed 20mm limit and front ride height was further lowered by an additional 15mm (now 60mm lower than an F1 road car at the front and 40mm lower at the rear).
The rest of the specification was much as before.
Unlike the F1 road car, the GTR’s double wishbone suspension ran with solid aluminium instead of rubber bushes. Co-axial springs with Bilstein dampers were fitted all round along with anti-roll bars at either end. The entire set-up was fully adjustable.
Similarly, bigger brake discs and uprated calipers were fitted (all supplied by Brembo). Front disc size was 380mm (up from 332mm) and the rears were 355mm (up from 305mm).
Both steel and optional Carbon Industrie discs were available (although the latter were not legal in some championships).
The road car’s Anti-lock Brake System was removed as per the regulations.
Centre-lock OZ Racing magnesium wheels were carried over from the previous year. Compared to the F1 road car, wheel diameter was increased from 17 to 18-inches and width rose from 9 to 10.85-inches at the front and from 11.5 to 13-inches at the rear.
The standard 90-litre fuel tank was switched to a 100-litre safety cell.
Engine / Gearbox
Perhaps the most significant mechanical upgrade applied to the GTR 96 was its engine / gearbox assembly which was now mounted 50mm lower in the chassis.
Significant attention was also paid to improved engine cooling and reduced internal friction.
As per the previous year’s version, the GTR 96 used a Type S70/3 version of the all-alloy BMW Motorsport 60° V12 instead of the S70/2 unit fitted to the F1 road car.
Like every McLaren F1 motor, the GTR engine ran dry-sump lubrication, dual overhead camshafts for each bank of cylinders, four valve heads and variable valve timing.
Displacement was an unchanged 6064cc thanks to a bore and stroke of 86mm and 87mm respectively.
An 11.0:1 compression ratio was also retained, but the TAG management software was re-mapped in light of the enlarged air restrictors for 1996.
Peak output figures were unchanged from the previous year with 600bhp at 7500rpm and 527lb-ft at 4500rpm.
To save weight, the GTR’s straight-cut six-speed manual gearbox was now housed in a magnesium instead of aluminium casing. Stronger shafts, thicker wall casings and wider gear wheels were also installed.
Transmission was through an AP Racing triple-plate carbon clutch with an aluminium flywheel and a Torsen limited-slip differential.
Bodywork
Externally, McLaren further refined the GTR to provide more downforce. Crucially, it became more tuneable than before.
Understeer was reduced thanks to a more aggressive chin spoiler that extended the GTR’s overall length by 80mm. The rulemakers had come up with the ‘80mm beyond-the-body’ ruling for 1996 after McLaren had spent a lot of money homologating a new nose for its F1 LM.
Elsewhere, bigger front wheelarch extensions were installed and the re-profiled rear spoiler now came with larger end plates.
To make the new GTR more user friendly and easier to work on, the body panels were switched to a quick-release type and the front floor section was made easier and faster to replace.
Interior
Inside, the cockpit was once again stripped of all its superfluous luxuries. Aside from the grey alcantara anti-glare dash, a leather / alcantara driver’s seat and a simplified alcantara-rimmed three-spoke steering wheel, there was practically no upholstery to speak of.
The analogue instrumentation from the original F1 was dropped in favour of a digital Stack read out.
Most of the switchgear was housed on an enormous carbonfibre panel off to the driver’s right-hand side in what was originally the passenger seat footwell. More electrical gubbins along with a plumbed-in fire system was located where the right-hand passenger seat usually resided.
Just the one single-piece composite bucket seat was installed along with a six-point harness. Other safety gear included a fully integrated roll cage.
Lightweight single piece Lexan windows were fixed in position.
Weight / Performance
Compared to the 1995 GTR, weight was cut from 1050kg to 1012kg (a saving of 38kg).
Top speed was once again in the region of 200mph.
With optimised gear ratios, 0-62mph could be achieved in less than three seconds.
1996 Season
Unlike 1995 when only the BPR GT Championship and the stand alone Le Mans 24 Hours had been contested, 1996 saw F1 GTRs participate in three additional series: the All-Japan GT Championship, the Temporada GT Trophy and the British GT Championship.
1996 BPR GT Championship
The 1996 BPR GT Championship drew the biggest contingent of McLarens with two car teams from the Gulf-backed GTC Motorsport squad and Dave Price Racing (the latter of which ran under the Harrods Mach One Racing and West Competition banners).
The single car entries of Fabien Giroix (Franck Muller Watch) and Jean-Luc Maury-Laribiere (BBA Competition) also attended most of the BPR races and BMW Motorsport were present at round four (Silverstone) in preparation for their two car outing at Le Mans.
McLarens won seven of the eleven BPR races in 1996 with Ray Bellm and James Weaver taking four wins in their GTC Gulf machine (the Paul Ricard 4 Hours, Jarama 4 Hours, Suzuka 1000km (with JJ Lehto) and Nogaro 4 Hours).
1995 champions John Nielsen and Thomas Bscher won twice in the Dave Price Racing West Competition car (the Monza 4 Hours and Nurburgring 4 Hours). Andy Wallace / Olivier Grouillard took a single victory (at the Silverstone 4 Hours) in their Dave Price Racing Harrod’s Mach One Racing machine.
Wallace / Grouillard and Bellm / Weaver also took maximum points at the Brands Hatch 4 Hours and Spa 4 Hours respectively. However, the on-track winner of these events was the controversial new Porsche 911 GT1 which was ineligible for championship points.
The works Porsche similarly won the final race of the year, the Zhuhai 4 Hours, where Ferrari were second and took maximum points.
The only race of 1996 in which the fast but fragile Ferrari actually crossed the line in first position was the Anderstorp 4 Hours.
Having missed out on the 1995 title, Bellm and Weaver were crowned 1996 Drivers’ champions and GTC Motorsport / Gulf Racing took the Teams’ title.
1996 All-Japan GT Championship
In a surprise announcement during February of 1996, McLaren confirmed a works-assisted attack on the All-Japan GT Championship with a two-car team. The operation, overseen by Ron Dennis and managed by Kazumichi Goh, was financed by Philip Morris International who would sponsor the handsome Black-Obsidian Grey and Rocket Pink cars with their most popular cigarette brand in Japan: Lark.
Team Lark McLaren would contest the premier GT500 class with John Nielsen / David Brabham sharing one car (14R) and Naoki Hattori / Ralf Schumacher in the other (13R). Against a super competitive field of Nissan Skyline GT-Rs and Toyota Supras, the McLarens won four out of six events: round one at Suzuka (Hattori / Schumacher), round two at Fuji (Brabham / Nielsen), round five at Sugo (Hattori / Schumacher) and round six at Mine (Hattori / Schumacher).
Despite their superior win record, a couple of clumsy incidents meant Hattori / Schumacher were pipped to championship honours by their more consistent team-mates Nielsen / Brabham.
1996 Le Mans 24 Hours
Seven F1 GTRs contested the 1996 Le Mans 24 Hours including a brace from BMW Motorsport.
Unfortunately though, a repeat of 1995’s fairytale victory was not to be as the race took place in dry conditions which favoured the Prototype machinery.
Le Mans marked the debut event for Porsche’s 911 GT1 which blitzed the McLarens in qualifying and went on to finish second and third overall behind the race-winning Joest Racing TWR Porsche WSC-95.
Nevertheless, six F1 GTRs made it to the chequered flag on their way to fourth (John Nielsen / Thomas Bscher / Peter Kox – West Competition), fifth (Pierre-Henri Raphanel / Lindsay Owen-Jones / David Brabham – Gulf Racing), sixth (Andy Wallace / Olivier Grouillard / Derek Bell – Harrods Mach One), eighth (Johnny Cecoto / Nelson Piquet / Danny Sullivan – BMW Motorsport), ninth (Ray Bellm / James Weaver / JJ Lehto) and eleventh (Steve Soper / Marc Duez / Jacques Laffite (BMW Motorsport).
The only McLaren not to make the chequered flag was the Giroix Racing Team entry of Jean-Denis Deletraz / Fabien Giroix / Maurizio Sando Sala which suffered a blown engine during the eleventh hour.
1996 Temporada GT Trophy
The 1996 Temporada GT Trophy was a two-race series that took place at the end of 1996 in Brazil with the assistance of the BPR GT Championship organisers. Local hero and BMW ambassador Nelson Piquet helped with promotion.
BMW Motorsport, West Competition and the Giroix Racing Team attended. Victory in both the Curitiba 2 Hours and Brasilia 2 Hours went to Nelson Piquet and Johnny Cecotto in the factory BMW entry.
A separate 1000 mile race at Jacarepaqua then took place in early January for which Steve Soper joined up with Piquet and Cecotto. They were the only McLaren runners in attendance and against limited opposition took an easy win to give the short-tailed F1 GTR its final victory prior to the arrival of the new long-tailed variant for 1997.
1996 British GT Championship
The eight round 1996 British GT Championship was contested by one McLaren – a year old ex-Gulf Racing machine now run by Lanzante Motorsrport on behalf of its owner, Jake Ulrich, who was partnered by Ian Flux. Despite only taking one outright win all year (in round two at Donington), limited opposition meant Ulrich and Flux won the GT1 championship.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: McLaren - https://www.mclaren.com & BMW - https://www.bmw.com
